Ja'Marr Chase 2021 NFL Draft Preview, Fantasy Football

Ja’Marr Chase – LSU – 6’0″ 208 lbs. – 3/1/00 (21 years old)

- All American, Fred Biletnikoff Award Winner
- Sat out 2020, which would’ve been his junior season.
- My #1 player for non-super flex rookie drafts.
- Chase looked so amazing in his 2019 campaign that he made Justin Jefferson look like a glorified slot receiver.
- His 2019 season held the SEC receiving yards record and TD record with 1780 yards and 20 TDs until DeVonta Smith broke both records the next year.
- Elite ability to bring down the ball in jump ball situations.
- Hands are strong. Holds on to the ball through contact or above a defender.

Bailing out Burrow under pressure (cue up the Bowie)

Long speed to take it to the house at any time on deep ball or short routes.
Just eats up yardage as he strides passed defenders.
Extra large catch radius. Can grab a ball in any direction and adjust during the route or in the air.
Active in the scramble drill.

Whoopsy safety, shouldn’t have let him catch you flat footed.

Strong after the catch ability.
Fights for firsts downs.
Good balance to absorb hits proves useful when catching and also after the catch to make additional yardage.
Best in the mid or deep receiving game where he has more time in the route to get open.
Routes get too rounded and lack sharpness on occasion. Expect NFL instruction to take his route running up another step for the short area.

Off the line, whatever. Route, whatever. Instead of going out of bounds though, jukes the first DB and then spins up field against the next 2 tacklers for a couple more.

Has a good feel for finding space and getting open during the route even if he doesn’t lose a defender at the line.
Acceleration off the line is good, but not top level. Better using acceleration during the route.
Not just a high point threat though.
Can be a slightly choppy off the line at times, but can still get inside or outside for slants or out routes.
Seems to dance at the line to get the defender off balance (typical move), but may be better if he were to accelerate and attack more directly.
There are times where he is clearly a decoy on the play, and he may not put forth the effort to sell it.
Times hand usage to clear up space at the point of reception and while working in routes.
Take a bad line though, and he’s gone.

Waits until he’s passed the first defender to break in front of the safety for the 1st down.

Don’t miss that first tackle opportunity, or maybe his dust tastes delicious and that’s why defenders stay behind him.